Bodega Garzón Achieves LEED Certification for Entire Facility,
Becoming the First Winery in the World to Earn Such an Award Across Winemaking and Hospitality
Premium Uruguayan Winery Adds LEED Certification to List of Recent Achievements, Including Inclusion in Wine & Spirits’ Top 100 Wines 2018, Top Marks from James Suckling and Named 2018 New World Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast
GARZÓN, Uruguay, a boutique winery in the idyllic countryside of Garzón, Uruguay founded by international vintner Alejandro P. Bulgheroni, is the first sustainable winery outside North America to comply with the strict requirements set by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), and the first winery in the world to earn LEED certification for its entire facility. Conceived by the acclaimed Argentina-based architecture firm Bórmida & Yanzón, the 205,000-square-foot winery boasts sustainable design developed by Bodega Garzon’s director of construction Carlos Hartmann, architect and sustainability expert (LEED AP). Elegantly built into the hills and over natural terraces – a design that enables the process of gravity winemaking – Bodega Garzón optimizes energy efficiency with insulating green roofs which also develop a biodiverse environment, rainwater harvesting and reuse, as well as a high-efficiency HVAC with heat recovery. The modern winery is producing wines celebrated by preeminent wine critics and establishing itself as a world-renowned destination furthering sustainability, wine culture and tourism in Uruguay.
“As one of the first to make wine in the Garzón region of Uruguay, we had a responsibility to construct something that will have a long-lasting legacy and that will protect the purity of the surrounding land and wildlife,” notes Bulgheroni. “I’m extremely proud of my team for achieving this award and for setting a new benchmark in the wine industry for sustainable design.”
A leader in innovative design, the state-of the-art winery encompasses 500 acres of vineyards, a production facility, tasting room for visiting guests, retail space, wine club, and open-fire 120-seat restaurant, as well as immaculate caves for barrel storage, tours, private dining and evenings. The design and placement of buildings was carefully planned to allow guests to immerse in unobstructed views of the surrounding countryside.
In 1999, when Mr. Bulgheroni and his wife Bettina acquired the property that evolved into Bodega Garzón, they embarked on a journey to create terroir-inspired, estate-grown and limited-production premium wines with integrity, concern for biodiversity, and the preservation of natural resources. Under Bulgheroni’s direction, the winery has pursued LEED certification and sustainable agriculture and adopted green farming practices in the vineyards. Influential winemaker and viticulturist Alberto Antonini oversaw Bodega Garzón vineyard plantings and development, combining the styles of old-world elegance and new world energy to craft the estate-grown, limited-production premium wines.
Bodega Garzón’s constant innovation of vineyard practices, varietal development and winemaking techniques focused on improved wine quality have recently earned it numerous accolades and accomplishments such as:
- New World Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Wine Star Awards 2018 for its innovation and leadership for Uruguay and its contribution to the world of fine wine.
- Top 100 ranking of Bodega Garzón 2015 Balasto in Wine & Spirits’ Best Wines of 2018
- Top 100 ranking of Bodega Garzón 2015 Tannat Reserva in Wine Spectator
- Best in Show – Best Red Single Varietal for Tannat Single Vineyard 2015 in Decanter World Wine Awards
- Top recognition by celebrated wine expert James Suckling, for Balasto 2017 (95 points); Balasto 2016 (94 points); Balasto 2015 (94 points); Albariño Single Vineyard 2018 (94 Points); Petit Verdot Single Vineyard 2017 (94 Points) and more, see jamessuckling.com
